Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. As he will be aware, as part of the additional funding we are providing for the Department of Health and the health sector, there is an ambitious plan to recruit approximately 16,000 additional health professionals over the course of 2021 to make the move that we all agree is necessary, which is to implement Sláintecare and build up the permanent capacity of our public health service. We are determined, as a Government, to do that. In the recent negotiations that we had for a successor agreement to the current public service stability agreement, the way we structured that in agreement and negotiation with the trade unions was that the benefits are very much weighted towards those at the lower end. For example, even in very difficult times, which we are in, and we are under budgetary pressure, the 1% increase next year will be worth a minimum of €500, even for the lowest paid public sector workers. That is just an example of how committed we are to dealing with the issue of low pay. I fully understand that the issue of deciding salaries for people in very senior leadership positions is always difficult, is always going to be contentious and may not sit well with people. As a public representative, I engage with people every day who are going through very real struggles. However, in government one has to use judgment and make decisions that ultimately will deliver better outcomes. That is why we have made the decision to go with an enhanced salary with a view to getting a stronger pool of candidates for the post.